Species › Plants › Green Dragon

Green Dragon

Arisaema dracontium

UncommonPlant
Illustration of Green Dragon (Arisaema dracontium)
Safety note: All parts contain calcium oxalate crystals; raw plant causes intense burning pain if eaten.

Green Dragon is a relative of jack-in-the-pulpit with a single large compound leaf and a narrow green spathe from which a long, slender spadix projects like a dragon's tongue. It grows in rich floodplain forests and stream corridors of the eastern United States. Small flies are lured into the flower for pollination by heat and odor.

Habitat
Rich floodplain forests and moist ravines in eastern North America
Diet
Fruits eaten by wood thrush; flowers pollinated by small flies
How common
Uncommon

Best time to see a Green Dragon

The best time to see a Green Dragon is March–May, when about 62% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 9,548 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

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